I REMEMBER WHAT ST. KITTS WAS LIKE!

Dear Editor:

I’m not naive nor do I possess primitive values, but I’m thinking retrospectively on the glorious days we once experienced as a nation. Do you remember when our country was once rated as the most peaceful in the world?

Such honour made us proud as a people, knowing the great regard we had for human decency and the wiliness to preserve our communities. While sitting at my table in darkness of the midnight, I felt compelled to address the inescapable violence which is currently paralyzing our citizens with extreme fear and anxiety.

No nation should surrender to random acts of terror, when considering the serious damage with which such belligerent behaviour can do to their social and economic infrastructure. If our people are afraid to leave their homes at night to enjoy the natural splendour of nature, because of their apprehensions, then the moment for action to deal with this madness is long overdue. Our forefathers fought relentlessly to establish a nation built on the foundation of laws and respect for human life. We must never forget to cherish these ideals.

In any developing country, there would always be difficult challenges. How we handle these challenges would determine our success or our failure. We cannot make this situation of hatred and hostility become an impossible challenge to meet. Allowing this vicious onslaught of our young and innocent citizens to continue will have grave implications for our survival as a society. It is imperative for our religious, civic and political leaders make a conscientious effort in removing this cancer from our nation.

Unanimity among of these various institutions might well be the force we need to remove the diabolic nature that has descended on our people. There is no time for indecisiveness or passivity, for the longer we wait to decide on a course of action, many more will have died!

How many more mothers, fathers and grandparent must go to funerals of their teenage sons, daughters and grandchildren, for us as a people to converge in huge number in the streets and express our outrage. I empathize with those parents who will never know the truth potential of their children, because they were taken form them at such tender age. Are we so apathetic and immune to such insanity that we would do nothing and allow the instigators of these heartless crimes to take away the very freedom our historic figures, died for? My fellow countrymen and women, the day has come to let your voices be heard, before an entire generation becomes extinct.

I still envision sitting at War Memorial, Independence Square or Greenland Park at nights and indulging in delightful conversations with friends, knowing at the end, we can return to our dwellings without concerns of becoming another victim of someone’s uncontrollable rage. To those commit these horrendous crimes, to them, I say be not consumed by hatred but rather become enveloped in love. You must be able to solve your issues through the process of rational and logical reasoning and not by using deadly wagons.

There are other alternative ways express your anger than by causing the annihilation of your brothers. I believe you can transcend the inner rage that propels you make those foolish choices. Making positive decision can be complex and difficult, but not impossible.

I am optimistic and particularly hopeful, that we will recapture the peace and tranquillity we once enjoyed as a nation. We must be prepared, however, to make tremendous scarifies, in order accomplish this task. When knowledge supersedes ignorance in any society, it will open the doors to a new and brighter day. So let us empower our minds with the necessary information that will help us overcome this element of danger in our beloved nation.